Getting Back On The Career Ladder

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Getting back out in the career field after a break is not uncommon. Reasons can be pursuing higher education to learn new skills, becoming a carer for a family member or to start a family of your own. Making the decision to get back into work can be daunting but it doesn’t need to be.

The issue is when it comes to taking the leap back into the work industry, what do you say when it comes to the gap on your C.V? First things first; don’t pretend it’s not there. Explain what the gap entailed and why it’s there.

The first step is to start tweaking your C.V but beware of how long you spend making it look beautiful. Research has concluded that recruiters can spend on average just 7 seconds glancing over to see if you’re suitable. The key to making your C.V stand out is making your career summary shine. Be short and brief on your career so far by keeping relevant information in, no more than 4-5 sentences should do it.

If you feel you’re C.V isn’t relevant anymore there are plenty of templates available to help you online. They can be downloadable and help guide you to making it look professional and structured. A lot of cv sites now offer a free service where someone can review your C.V and advise what appropriate changes to make. The advice is worth taking as it gives the dos and don’ts of the content not needed by recruiters. For example, most employers don’t need you to list things you do in your spare time.

Check that you have all the relevant skills that are still required for the career you plan on pursuing.If the thought of going back into a work environment makes you feel uneasy try teaching English from home. Online teaching courses can help you with gaining experience as well as additional qualifications for a gap on the CV. If you were perhaps a teacher before taking your career break this is perfect for starting back out slowly.

A complete new change of direction might be what you need or want. A new career can be a great way to boost your confidence, this site offers ways to achieve success with something new. Flexible job roles that suit you are always available, should you need a routine that offers flexibility to work around your needs. Particularly if you’re a mother and wish to return part-time.

If you’ve been a stay at home mum or carer a lot would have changed during your break. It’s important to acknowledge things would have developed in particular technology. Be sure to know the latest developments, an easy and obvious way is through keeping up to date with the news and social media.

It’s all about social media, networking and being able to connect to the world as soon as possible. The go-to site for networking is linkedin if you’re unfamiliar with the app, it’s a site based on networking for potential recruiters.The new add-on job’s app is designed specifically for job searches available via linkedin. Email alerts are now an option which is great for letting you know the specifics for the job you’re looking for. Not only saving you time but helping you sift through what can feel like an endless search.

Get into a habit of following job boards on twitter setting up notifications, you’ll receive up to date tweets with incoming jobs of the day. Having a daily routine for job searching and applying needs to be structured. Looking first thing in the morning and just before bed, allows you to apply as the jobs tend to be posted at these times.If you’re looking for freelance work there are platforms that cater to the specific area you wish to work in.

freelance work is great for working mums, you can still be with your children and work from home. Research the type of publications you wish to write for, look at the articles they publish and identify what it is they are missing. Don’t be afraid to pitch but be sure you contact the right people.

Remember that a career break is okay, it was beneficial to you at the time for a particular reason. There’s no need to apologize to anyone or be ashamed of it. Like most things spin it into a positive and use the break to show how it can be used to your advantage.